Device for simulating golf putting holes



Allg 5, H952 l. zloN DEVICE FOR SIMULATING GOLF PUTTING HOLES Filed Dec. 14, 1949 Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED stares tireur ctrl-Ice envios rola snuULA'rING Gota rurrrNG.

rioresv Irving Zion, Lawrence, ApplicationDecember 14, 1949, S'erial'No. 1132,81;

This, invention relatesv to the galile- O. gOl': general, and to devices for playing andpracticing golf in particular.

-It is an object-Qt thepresent invention to prov vide a. device of tlis'lS-ind'by-means of Whioheoli- I riinled` persons ofA all ages may, indoors or out--N doors, play or practice golf, and more especially attempt to sink a golf balll in a hole by driving it with al putter, for instance, over a realistic putting green with its usual terrain irregularities.

It is. another objectoi the` present invention to make provisions in az device of this kind for quickly changingl the terrain..` conditionsv of' the putting green therei in. all illnte number f ways., thereby to enable andrinduoe a player to exercise his or her utmost playing skill whenever using the device for playing at golf.

It4 is another object of the present invention to provide a device ofl this lind which takes up comparatively little space indoors and isreadily portable for alternate indooror outdoor use, and which is simple, sturdy and inexpensive in construction and readilyflends itself to eflicient mass production. Y The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention vwill be `more fully understood from the following description considered in connection With the accompanying illustrative drawings,

In the drawings:VV l

Figiv ll is a top plan View of; a device embodying the present. invention;

Fig- 2 is a ,Section taken substantially on the line 21-.2'015 Fig.A 1.;

Fig; 31s, a` reduced top plan View of a device embodying the present invention in a modified mflmel? and Fie. 4. is a section takenon the line @T4 of 3. Y

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I04 designates a.` golfA playing or practicing device which comprises, in the present instance, a base I2., a terrain disk I4v which is rotatably supported in the base I2` and an, approach I6 to the terrain. disk I4.. Thebe'se I2 may conveniently be in the formv of an operlrine oi ushered cross section (Fig. 2) having a cylindrical rim i8 and an inwardly turned bottom` flange 2,6 of which both terminatel at 2 2 and 27,4 (Fig. 1). suitably secured as4 by spotjweldinafor instance, to the rin; ISY of the base,v I2 is a ring-shaped support 26 which may conveniently b e made from angle iron. Rotatably mounted on the top flange 28 of the support 26 and in the base rim I8 is the terraindisk I4 which is provided substantially in the center thereof with a depression claims, (Cl. 2732-36,)

; 2 te that resembles. a heleen e eolf course- The terrain dist:4 39. may, at least in its ton surface thereof, be formed. tc'resemblethetei ditions of a putting eretti.. on. a golf; eo rse with its.l customary surface irregularities, ln the present instance the terrain Conditions. ora tilttinagreenA are simulated by en uneven; strisce leyerisZ of; any suiteblelmaterial which most realistically resembles the eiounfi of ari sette; putting; trees;1 Thus, the lever 32 on., the tot surface, of the disk. ItA maybe medeoi ertioiel soci, tor instante i Theapproach-'Ito theterrain disk Iii corn-J prises, tljre present instance a plate which is generally A1.,-shaped in longitudinal sectionl (Fig. 2), to provide a long/plate length Ml and a lat-v erally projectingshort plate length 42 of which thel latter is transversely curved like, and suite ably releasably seouredat ME to, that part of the periphery of the ring support 26 which is exposed between the opposite ends 22 and. 2li ofthe base I2. In the present instance, the short plate length of; the approach .I6 extends-to the door or ground 5l)v on which the base. I2 may rest with its bottom fiangeBIl (Fig. 2), and the-plate length 42 is of such height that in its` mounted condition the adjacent end `52. ofthe long plate length lli) is substantiallyV flush and. continuous, with the top face ofthe terrain disl; I4. Further, the long plate length 40, of the approach IS rests, ill the mounted condition of the latter, with its other end 54 on the ground or floor 50. The long plate length 40 of the approach y I6 thus gradually ascends from the floor or ground 5l) to the level of the terrain disk I4 in order to lead onto the latter a golf ball which is driven by a player,` with a putter, for instance, somewhere on the door or ground 5i. Ereferably, the plate length 4,0 of the approach I6 is at its opposite sides provided with upwardly projecting llanees or Walls 515 and. 58. respectively, in order to prevent any driven soli ball fromf rolling o ffl the sides of the approach I S. Similarly, 'that part of the base rim, t8 which extends above the terrain disk |74 will prevent anyrgolr ball from rolling off `the latter, except over the approach I6 toward the player who drove it. Thus, the side angeg, and 58 on the approach IS and the extension ofthe base rim i3 above the terrain disk i4 act as barriers which permit even unskilled perscns to play orA practice golf with the instant device, without having to chase after each ball which is driven with such force, orv isso misdirected, that it would roll olf the terrain disk I4 or the approach I6 if it werenot for these barriers. Preferably, the. plate length iiiloff'the approach I6vv is, likethe terrain disk I4, formed at least 1n its top surface thereof to simulate the terrain conditions of a putting green of a golf course. As in the case of the terrain disk I4, the plate length 40 of the approach I6 is, in the present instance, provided with an uneven surface layer 60 of any suitable material which realistically resembles an actual putting green, such as artificial sod, for instance.

In forming the layers 32 and 60 on the terrain disk I4 and approach I6, respectively, in realistic simulation of an actual putting green, the top faces 62 and 64 of the layers 32 and 60, respectively, are made uneven or irregular to present to a golf ball the same ridges and depressions r and d, respectively, which are presented by an actual putting green on a golf course. These ridges and depressions r and d are, of course, unevenly distributed over the area of the terrain disk I4 so that the latter may offer to a player or players an infinite number of different terrain conditions on being turned into any one of an infinite number ofv angular positions relative to the approach I6. Thus, by frequently turning the terrain disk I4 into diiferent angular positions, a player is called upon to use his or her utmost playing skill at all times in the endeavor to sink a golf ball in the depression or hole 30. By making the instant provisions for changing the terrain conditions on the disk I4 as often as desired, the instant device will keep the interest of a player or players alive over a long period of time, primarily because it always challenges the skill of, and will never be mastered by, any player or players regardless of howV often the device v is used. Thus the disk I4 is supported for rotation about a substantially vertical axis coextensive with its own axis and the rotation of said disk about said axis is effective to align different portions of the irregularly formed face 62 with the approach I6.

Fig. 3 shows a modified golf-playing or practicing device I0 which differs from that of Fig. 1 primarily by providing on `a modified base I2 a gutter 10 of preferably curved cross-sectional shape of which theopen top is substantially iiush with, or somewhat below, the surface layer 32' of artificial sod, for instance, on top of the disk I4'. The gutter 10 may be substantially angleshaped in cross-section (Fig. 4), with its top flange 1I deformed cross-sectionally to form the gutter proper, and with its other flange secured in any suitable manner to the cylindrical rim I8 of the base I2. The terrain disk I4' may rotatably be mounted on a cross-sectionally U-shaped support 13 which is, in turn, mounted on the base I2' (Fig. 4). in the present instance along the cylindrical rim I8 of the base I2' and laterally merges at its ends 12 and 14 into short gutters 16 and 18, respectively, in the approach I6 which may, but need not necessarily be, inclined the same as the approach I6 in Fig. l. If the approach I6 is not inclined, but Aextends horizontally instead, the gutters 16 and 18 preferably extend to the end of the approach I6' and are, furthermore longitudinally inclined with their bottoms downwardly toward the end of the approach I6 in order that a golf ball or balls rolling thereinto will roll off the approach IE. If the approach I6 is inclined, the gutters 16 and 18 therein may, a short distance away from the adjacent ends 12 and 14 of the gutter 10, merge with ttheir bottoms, as at 80 and 82, respectively, into the plane of the approach I6. The approach I6 is, in the present instance, shownplane, i. e., without an uneven The gutter 10 extends surface layer of artificial sod, for instance, but such a surface layer may obviously be provided on the approach I6', if so desired. In order that a golf ball or balls rolling into the gutter 10 may roll freely onto the approach I6', the bottom of the gutter 10 is preferably gradually slightly inclined downwardly toward the ends 12 and 14 thereof.

' While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A golf-playing device, comprising a disk having a single substantially central depression in imitation of a hole in golf, and having one of its opposite faces irregularly formed to resemble the terrain conditions of a putting green, a low support placeable with its bottom on a floor indoors or the ground outdoors and supporting said disk, with said one face up, for rotation about a substantially vertical axis coextensive with its own axis, and an approach connected to said disk, said approach beingl placeable on the iioor or ground the same as said support and providing a surface extending from the oor or ground at a slight inclinationthereto to a part of the periphery of said disk and being substantially iiush with said one disk face along said part of the disk periphery, the rotation of said disk about said axis being effective to align different portions of said irregularly formed face with said approach whereby an infinite number of terrain conditions may be simulated.

2. A golf-playing device as set forth in claim l, in which the top face of said approach surface is also irregularly formed to simulate the terrain conditions of a putting green.

3. A golf-playing device as set forth in claim 1, in which said support has an upwardly projecting cylindrical wall which extends along and above the disk periphery except along said part thereof.

4. A golf-playing device, comprising a generally dish-shaped base having an annular rim and a bottom placeable on a floor indoors or the ground outdoors, an inwardly projecting ring support on said base rim intermediate the top and bottom of the latter, a disk rotatably supported on said ring support and that portion of said base rim which projects upwardly beyond said ring support, said disk having a substantially central depression in imitation of a hole on a golf course, and having its top face formed to resemble the terrain conditions of a putting green, and an approach to said disk, said approach being a plate of the general shape of a long L having a long plate length and a laterally projecting short plate length of which the latter is transversely curved like, and releasably secured to the outside of, a peripheral length of said base rim below said ring support so that the outer end of said long plate length may rest on the floor or ground the same as said base bottom, and said base rim is interrupted along said peripheral length thereof above said approach so that the other end of said long plate length may be substantially flush and continuous with said top face of the disk.

5. A golf-playing device as set forth in claim 4, in which the top-face of said long plate length of the approach is also formed to resemble the terrain conditions of a putting green.

6. A golf-playing device, comprising a disk having a substantially central depression in imitation of a hole in golf, and having one of its opposite faces irregularly formed to resemble the terrain conditions of a putting green, a low support placeable with its bottom on a floor indoors or the ground outdoors and supporting said disk, with said one face up, for rotation about a substantially vertical axis coextensive with its own axis, said support having around a part of the periphery and below said one face of said disk a gutter which is outwardly directed at its opposite ends and the bottom of which is slightly inclined downwardly toward at least one end thereof, said gutter being adapted to lead off the support any ball rolling into said gutter from said irregularly formed face of said disk, and an approach connected to said disk, said approach being placeable on the oor or ground the same as said support and providing a surface extending longitudinally from the oor or ground at a slight inclination thereto to that part of the periphery of said disk which is not surrounded by said gutter, and being substantially iiush with said one disk face substantially along the last- IRVENG ZION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 720,191 Taylor Feb. 10, 1903 1,136,153 Martinear et al. Apr. 20, 1915 1,591,095 Meyer July 6, 1926 1,612,291 Jackson Dec. 28, 1926 1,612,292 Jackson Dec. 28, 1926 1,926,733 Radley Sept. l2, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 571,579 Great Britain 1945 

